


The Labrynth

by darcangell23



Series: Spellbinder [1]
Category: Glee
Genre: Anal Sex, Dimensions, Explicit Sexual Content, Hostage Situations, Kidnapping, M/M, Magic, power
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-05-06
Updated: 2013-05-17
Packaged: 2017-12-10 15:09:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 17,994
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/787425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darcangell23/pseuds/darcangell23
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>At any given time there are three spellbinders in the world meant to deal with powers and magic and the unknown world that is not often perceived by the naked human eye.</p><p>Kurt Hummel is one of the chosen ones, a spellbinder whose world has come crashing down because The Vikings murdered his family and he got his only friend Rachel trapped in the labrynth. In his determination to be the first spellbinder to survive the labrynth more than once he meets his two fellows, one of which, Blaine Anderson, becomes more than just his spellbinding teammate. Can Kurt, and Blaine along with their unexpected third spellbinder locate the labrynth, rescue Rachel, and destoy it once and for all or will she be forever lost within its depths? First in the Spellbinder Trilogy.</p><p>Rating for later chapters.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Never Ending Regret

**Author's Note:**

> So I got this idea after reading a brilliant work here on this very site. The full title of this story is Spellbinder: The Labrynth. I intend to make a trilogy out of it. I have no idea how many chapters will be in each book so bare with me! And reviews make me smile!

_"Ten minutes left!" the voice barked out. Kurt pounded his feet on the ground. The light at the end of the tunnel was just ahead of him. He could reach it, he had to. It was his ticket out of here._

_"Come on!" Kurt shouted behind him. There was an 'oof' sound and the pale man skidded to a stop. "Rachel!" he cried, turning around to see his friend had tripped and fallen. He looked forward to that light at the end of the tunnel. His way out of the labrynth, possibly for good, but he couldn't leave Rachel behind. He couldn't leave any of the others that were stuck here behind either. But the fact was, they had ten minutes left to earn their freedom and he had no idea where anyone else was._

_"Go on without me Kurt!" Rachel cried from her spot on the ground._

_"No! I won't leave you!"_

_"Do you want to get out of here?" she snapped._

_"Yes!"_

_"Than you don't have a choice. I've twisted my ankle. Hobbling with me will slow you down and you'll never make it!"_

_"But—"_

_"Don't worry about me; just go!"_

_Kurt was still hesitant. Rachel was one of the only friends he had. He couldn't just leave her. But he wanted his freedom, so with one last fleeting look, he ran and that light got brighter and brighter and…_

* * *

Kurt sat bolt upright in bed. The thin sheet was draped loosely over his waist and his pale skin was shiny with sweat. Breathing heavily, Kurt pulled back the curtain of the tiny window behind his bed.

Still dark.

The pale man sighed and ran a hand down his face. How long had it been now? Days seemed to blur together and nights were pure torture. Kurt suffered the nightmares every time he dared to fall asleep. There were bags under his eyes from attempting to keep awake at all hours because he was afraid to close them. Every time he did, the memories came pouring in.

Rachel.

There wasn't a moment that went by that Kurt didn't think about her. Rachel hadn't gotten out like he had. None of them had as far as he knew. Rachel was still there. Still trapped. Trapped in the labrynth.

Ever since that day, the day their captor had given them the opportunity to earn their freedom, Kurt had regretted the events that occurred in those last ten minutes. He regretted leaving Rachel behind even if she insisted. He knew she'd been right. If he had tried to assist her, neither of them would have made it and he would still be trapped in the labrynth too. But at this point, that was better than lacking sleep and living with the nightmares and guilt every single day.

Kurt was done. He couldn't do it anymore. He needed to return to the labrynth and find a way to free Rachel and the others still trapped inside. The question was, how?

Still slightly shaking, Kurt slid from the bed and crossed the small room to a rickety table on which lay a heavy leather bound book. He glanced in the small mirror hanging just above the table, fingers ghosting over the small sapphire six pointed star tattoo inked on the front of his left shoulder. The elegantly scripted black S in the center of the star marked him as a chosen one. One of the three spellbinders. He had yet to find the other two.

Kurt stared at the tattoo for several moments. He knew the captor of the labrynth had probably gone haywire when he learned that the one person who managed to get out was a fated spellbinder. The pale man had learned very quickly that the spellbinders were in high demand for captivity. He'd had more than enough close calls and that was just from keeping it to himself.

There were ever only three spellbinders in the world at any given time. When one passed, another was either marked or born. Kurt was born. Kurt was born but he was a unique situation. Or not really. The chosen ones occasionally might be four for a short time, if the fates had already seen the coming death of one of them within ten years. This was rare, but it did happen. Kurt replaced his own mother as a spellbinder. She died when he was eight. Even such causes as medical illness and car accidents and the like, could not really be avoided by a spellbinder.

The world who knew of the chosen ones, the greedy world who wanted their power, would do everything possible to keep the spellbinders from finding each other. But the fact was, they were strongest together and they were meant to search for one another without actually searching. In a sense, keep their eyes peeled and not let their enemies know that they were obviously seeking each other out.

Kurt had not found one yet, but his connection would let him know the moment he did.

Turning slightly, the pale man snagged the shirt that was hanging on the back of a chair that was stood in the middle of the room and pulled it on over his head. These days, he had no time for fashion. He used to have not a care in the world and all the time he could ask for to partake in the world of fashion. Now, on the run from predators like the labrynth captor and the gang who had killed his father, stepmother, and stepbrother, Kurt had little time for making sure his appearance was impeccable.

Grabbing a pair of skinny jeans from where he had lazily tossed them to the floor, Kurt pulled the pants on and sat down in the chair to lace up his Doc Martens. He stood again and glanced in the mirror. He could forego brushing his teeth for now. He didn't have time for that either. He needed to keep moving.

Kurt picked up his knapsack and shoved the book into it. He had very little with him right then. A few spare changes of clothes and the book, and his toiletries. That was all he needed. Kurt hadn't really had a proper home since his family had been killed.

At the time, he and Rachel were pursuing their dreams at NYADA. And then the news came. Kurt knew he had to move. So he packed a few things and left, Rachel on his heels though he had pleaded with her to stay behind and continue on with her life. He didn't want her involved. But Rachel being Rachel, she wouldn't take no for an answer and now she was trapped in that labrynth. And Kurt still had not told her that he was a spellbinder.

Taking one last fleeting look around the small room, Kurt flung open the door and hurried out into the cool night air. He made his way down to the small office where the night clerk was sipping a beer and watching reruns of I Love Lucy on a little battered TV. Kurt could not fathom how they had I Love Lucy in Spain.

He dropped his room key on the counter without saying a word. Not that he wasn't thankful, but he didn't know the language. Kurt's fluent tongue other than English was French and he had always heard there was a difference between Spanish from Mexico and Spanish from Spain. Just like Canadian French was different from French French.

The clerk barely glanced up at him, his bushy black mustache twitching and he raised a finger to scratch at it. Kurt wrinkled his nose and left the office. Nothing like a shabby little motel in the Spanish countryside. He needed to check his funds. He'd been in Spain since he had escaped the labrynth and he figured he could do with a nice change. Holland, Denmark, Switzerland perhaps. He wasn't sure.

But the one thing he was sure of, as he began to hike along the dirt path winding away from the old motel, was that the labrynth never stayed in the same place too long. Kurt and Rachel had still been in the US when they had been captured. Yet when Kurt had run to freedom, it was out into a busy street in Madrid, the Spanish capital. It had crossed his mind that the labrynth was in a different dimension entirely and the captor had the means of opening the portal anywhere he wanted to. Not that it bothered Kurt. The further he was away from New York and Ohio, the better. But he needed to keep moving.

Kurt had no means of telling time. He had no watch, and he had disposed of his cell phone the day he had left New York. He didn't want anyone tracking him. But judging by the very small sliver of light peeking over the top of the hill he was climbing, it was around or near dawn. So he'd almost managed a full night's sleep.

He wasn't sure how long he walked, or how far he was from the nearest town but after sometime, though he was still in the middle of nowhere, Kurt could not shake the distinct feeling that he was being followed. He came to a stop and pulled his sai swords from the side straps of his knapsack, eyes darting all around him. There was a wood lining the path to his left and that was the only natural point at which someone could follow him without being seen.

"Show yourself!" he cried, twirling the sai swords and narrowing his eyes at the forest. Kurt was pleasantly surprised when a man who appeared to be around his own age emerged from the trees. He was also equipped with a knapsack and there seemed to be a staff strapped to his back. Tucked under one arm, the man carried a familiar leather bound book. "Spellbinder," Kurt whispered in awe.

The guy was rather striking. He had unruly dark curls that Kurt suspected would have been tamed if he were not having to live on the move and dark eyes, though from the distance, it was hard to tell precisely what color they were. His olive skin defined his perfectly soft facial features and his eyebrows were an unusual triangular shape. The scruff on his face told Kurt he hadn't shaved in some time.

Kurt lowered the sai swords as the guy started walking toward him. This was a good thing, if this guy really was one of the other two spellbinders. It would certainly make it easier to find the third.

"Hi," was what the man said as he came to a stop in front of Kurt. Upon closer proximity, Kurt could tell that he was shorter than him and his eyes turned out to be a golden honey hazel color. The pale man felt his breath catch in his throat.

 _No Kurt, now is not the time to be looking for relationship prospects. Besides, you don't even know if he plays for your team,_  Kurt thought to himself.

"I'm Blaine," the guy said then, holding out a hand and Kurt shook himself out of his reverie, realizing he had not said a single word since he had approached him. Feeling rather rude, he grasped the other's hand, feeling the warmth spread through his palm, sending tingles up his arm like an electrical current.

"Kurt," he replied simply, allowing his hand to reluctantly fall from Blaine's grip. "You're a spellbinder."

A grin crossed the other's face as he took in Kurt's airy tone of disbelief. "I am," he said with a short nod.

It was then that Kurt became aware of the leather band around Blaine's neck. His eyes traveled down it and widened slightly as they came to a rest on the glass ball at the end of the band. It was a galaxy crystal. Blaine had a galaxy crystal.

"You found a galaxy crystal?" he asked astonished and Blaine's gaze dropped to the piece around his neck.

"Oh, yes. The gang of thieves I recently escaped from had it. I took it for good measure."

Kurt was astounded. Galaxy crystals were extremely rare nowadays and they could either do a lot of good or a lot of bad, depending on who was in possession of the crystal. Spellbinders were likely to use them for good, but even they had a bad egg every once in a while.

And that was when it hit him that Kurt had found one of his fellow spellbinders and he was around his own age. The chances of that were very slim. He was sure that the age of the third and final spellbinder was likely nowhere near their age. But having someone of his level of understanding that was certainly a bonus.

Kurt felt the need to show Blaine that he too had something helpful. Reaching around to a side pocket in his knapsack, he extracted a small vial and held it out to the other man.

Blaine carefully took the vial from him and gazed at it in wonder. "Stardust," he whispered. Kurt nodded. "Where ever did you get it?"

The pale man bit his lip. Should he tell him? Well, he probably was going to have to if he hoped to get Blaine's help with finding the labrynth and breaking Rachel and the others free. Blaine would have to know.

"The glass globe in the center of the labrynth." He watched Blaine's eyes go extremely wide, so much so that his triangular eyebrows disappeared right into his hair line.

"You were in the labrynth?" the other whispered in surprise and Kurt nodded again. All spellbinders knew of the labrynth. They also knew chances of getting out of the labrynth were extremely slim, especially if you were a spellbinder. The labrynth captor would keep you there as long as he possibly could, once he learned who you were. Kurt was lucky that he had gotten out before the captor found out. "How did you get out of that?"

The nineteen year old drew a breath. "I got lucky. The captor offered one of his freedom opportunities. I…was the only one who succeeded."

Blaine detected the hint of sorrow and guilt in Kurt's voice. "You failed to protect someone there." Kurt nodded once more. "Who?"

"My friend Rachel. She tripped and twisted her ankle when we were running for the light," Kurt explained. "We only had ten minutes left. I didn't want to leave her because I felt like it was my fault we were in that mess to begin with." Blaine said nothing. He only listened as Kurt got it out. "She told me to go anyway. I don't think the captor was aware yet that I was a spellbinder."

"If he didn't know then, he probably does now," Blaine stated the obvious. Kurt sighed and hitched his knapsack strap higher. "So what are you going to do?"

Kurt turned his gaze on the empty path ahead of them and just stared for several moments. Blaine still held the stardust vial in his hand. Kurt knew what he planned on doing was risky but he had to. He had to get Rachel out of there. With them both being spellbinders, they would be more powerful together and perhaps if they could find the third of their number, they could defeat the labrynth forever.

"I don't have a choice. I have to get Rachel out. I have to find the labrynth and go back."

Blaine was quiet for several moments. "How are you going to find it?" he asked.

"I don't know," Kurt admitted almost immediately.

Blaine turned to look at him. "I'll go with you than. You might need the help." Kurt offered him a small smile.

"Thank you," he replied.

"No need to thank me. I'm a spellbinder. It's what we do," Blaine replied with a return smile.

"Maybe along the way, we'll get lucky and find number three," Kurt said.

"That would be a game changer."

Kurt nodded and the two of them began again on the walk down the path.

* * *

Blaine sat on the single bed in the room later that night, flipping pages in his copy of the spellbinder's tome. Both of them knew there was something in there about the labrynth. Not much because there were many spellbinders who had been lost to world within it. It was possible to escape once but no one had ever escaped twice before. Especially since after the first time, the captor would know if they were a spellbinder and security would be increased ten fold if they ever captured them again. And that was when a spellbinder would be lost to the labrynth. So there wasn't a whole lot of information on it.

Kurt was lying back on the bed with his hands tucked under his head, staring at the ceiling. The idea that he could enter the labrynth a second time and not emerge was a very real fact. But Blaine had never been in the labrynth before and the captor wouldn't know he was a spellbinder, not right away. The issue was that if Kurt came in with Blaine, it was possible that the captor would put two and two together and realize he had two spellbinders in his labrynth. On the other hand, not staying with Blaine would greatly reduce Kurt's chances of getting out of the labrynth a second time.

So it was kind of a lose-lose situation. But that was a chance they were willing to take.

"So we know the labrynth is on a moving axis," Blaine commented a few moments later. He had ceased his turning of pages and found the part about the labrynth. It was small and really contained no more information than could be learned by being it.

Kurt nodded his head. "It picked Rachel and I up in Ohio and spilled me back out in Madrid." Blaine looked over at him when Kurt mentioned the state of Ohio. "What?"

Blaine bit his lip. "What were you doing in Ohio?" he asked.

Kurt sat up, pulling his knees to his chest and wrapping his arms around them. "My family was murdered. I went there first to investigate. I'm from Lima," he said quietly.

Blaine was quiet for a long moment. "I'm from Ohio too. Westerville. They got my family too," he finally said. Kurt looked over at him. For a moment, the fact that they were both from Ohio stunned him but then he remembered that if the fates were determined that the spellbinders find each other, they were often from the same general locale, making it easier to locate one another.

"The Vikings," Kurt stated. Blaine just nodded.

"The Vikings," he confirmed.

The Vikings were a notorious gang that had been walking the earth since the beginning of time. Their main purpose it seemed was to discover the spellbinders and rid them of their families leaving them alone in the world. The reasoning was not clear why. But it was the precise reason why Kurt was so confused over his mother's death.

The only time The Vikings were conflicted with their main purpose was when the spellbinder's family included another spellbinder. Kurt was not sure whether they had given his mother a reprieve and her death had just been the coincidence of the dangers in a normal society or if they had chosen to show no mercy and be the cause of her death. He may never know the answer. But he wanted to track them down and defeat them once and for all.

Though no matter how many long time dangers spellbinders found a way to one day permanently defeat, a new one would always fill the vacated spot almost immediately. So you could defeat a hundred dangers in your lifetime and still be left with a hundred more.

"My mother was a spellbinder," Kurt said quietly. Blaine's eyes were wide. "She died when I was eight."

"Were you born?" Blaine asked. Kurt nodded his head gently. "The fourth chosen," Blaine went on quietly.

"The fourth chosen," Kurt confirmed.

They both knew what this meant. To be a fourth chosen spellbinder, though rare, was an extreme stroke of luck. A power increase and abilities beyond normal rank were usually in a fourth chosen's future. And it was not uncommon for a fourth chosen to be named ring leader when the spellbinders found each other. Though Kurt did not see himself as the leader type. He hoped that their third spellbinder would be older than they were, someone more experienced. They could lead the cavalry.

It was quiet as Blaine studied the little bit they had about the labrynth. Kurt peeked over at the book, but as he had expected, there was nothing written there, he didn't already know from being in the labrynth.

"I wish there was a way that we could track it," Kurt said after a moment. Blaine snapped the book shut with a defeated sigh.

"Past spellbinders have determined it unplottable. If it has a certain route it follows with change, it would take locating it once and than keeping track of where it jumps and how often but there's no way of telling where it will go next, not even from inside it apparently," he curly-haired man said.

Kurt bit his lip. "If there was a way to have one person inside and the other outside and…" He cut himself off as realization hit him. "My God Blaine, there is a way! I can't believe no one thought of this before!"

Blaine gave him a confused look. "What are you on about Kurt?"

"A tracking device," Kurt replied triumphantly. Blaine still looked confused. "If the person going into the labrynth has a tracking device on them, the one on the outside can use it to track their coordinates and keep tabs on their location."

Blaine furrowed his brow in thought for a moment. There was still one issue though. "But Kurt, the labrynth is thought to be in its own dimension. How can we be sure the tracking device will work across dimensions?" Kurt bit his lip again. Blaine did have a point.

"Are you a technology specialist?" he asked after a moment. Blaine shook his head. "Me either," Kurt admitted with a sigh.

"What does it mean?" Blaine asked.

"It means we have to find our third spellbinder. He or she will probably be our technology specialist."

Great, so much work to carry out one plan. So it looked like their first step was to find their third spellbinder and God knew how long that would take. But with the fact that no spellbinder had ever entered the labrynth more than once and survived to tell about it hanging over their heads, it was crucial that they plan each step of the process to every possible detail and their first notion, they needed to be spellbinders three.

Little did they know but their third spellbinder would be coming to them the very next morning. Quite easy when one of them was unknowingly already being tracked.


	2. The Third Spellbinder

The next morning found the two of them curled up around each other, with Blaine as the little spoon. The window in the room didn't shut all the way and a cold draft from the night filtered in, prompting the two spellbinders to shift closer together.

When Kurt opened his eyes and found his arms around Blaine and his legs tangled with his, he panicked. Oh dear sweet God. Blaine grunted happily and snuggled closer but Kurt stared at him with his eyes glassy. He had just realized something. For the first time since he had gotten out of the labrynth, he had slept through the night, nightmare free. It was as if being with Blaine made them go away somehow.

The pale man's heart stuttered in his chest at the thought. He didn't move.

Instead, he contented himself with admiring Blaine as the other slept. God the man was so beautiful, even with his scruff. Kurt normally wasn't one for facial hair but Blaine made it look hot. He tentatively reached out a hand and ran his fingers gently through Blaine's curls. The other man sighed happily in his sleep and nuzzled his head into Kurt's fingers. Kurt smiled. Well, at least he had this while Blaine was sleeping, if Blaine wasn't gay.

Kurt was just realizing that they hadn't really talked about that because they had been so focused on the labrynth and figuring out what they were going to do, when there came a knock at the door. It was so loud, the person was practically banging the door down. Blaine shot up so fast he toppled Kurt off the bed in a tangled mess of blankets.

"Blaine," Kurt protested.

"What?" He turned and saw the other on the floor, glaring up at him with his arms folded over his chest. "Oh, sorry Kurt." Whoever was at the door banged on it again.

"I know you're in there Porcelain! Now open the door." Kurt froze. What higher power in all their right made her of all people show up there?

"Kurt?" Blaine questioned, glancing over at him. The banging persisted and Kurt finally found the strength to move. He twisted himself out of the blankets and stumbled to his feet.

It took him a moment to get to the door as he tripped over one of their knapsacks on the way. The banging continued right until Kurt flung the door open.

Standing outside the door was a familiar woman with short blonde hair and sporting a familiar red track suit. Her hand was still raised and she very nearly knocked right on Kurt's head.

"Well, it's about time!" she said, inviting herself into the room. It was at that moment, Kurt caught sight of the book in her arms and shook his head frantically. There was no way. He would have known before now, wouldn't he?

"What are you doing here Coach Sylvester?" Kurt asked, shutting the door again and crossing his arms.

"You know her?" Blaine commented, staring at the woman who was looking him up and down with an expression much like that of a volture examining its prey. Kurt was just relieved he'd fallen asleep in his clothes the night before. He was that tired.

"I've been tracking you Porcelain," the woman replied, still eyeing Blaine carefully. Kurt cocked an eyebrow at her. "You're a spellbinder aren't you?" Well, if that didn't confirm things, Kurt didn't know what would. She took his silence for a yes. "Knew so. I placed the tracker on you when you were on the Cheerios. That way I would know where you were at all times, so when it was time, I could come to you."

Kurt just stared at her for a moment. If he'd had a tracker on him since he was a sophomore, why hadn't she come when him and Rachel were trapped in the labrynth?

Sue must have been a mindreader. "Oh Porcelain, you didn't need my assistance then. You and young Burt Reynolds over here need it now though," she said.

Blaine cleared his throat. "Not to be a nuisance or anything, but would one of you kindly explain how you know each other?" he said, alerting Kurt to the fact that Blaine really was still in the room and he was clearly irritated.

"Sorry Blaine. She was the cheerleading coach at McKinley," he replied, not taking his eyes off Sue.

"McKinley? McKinley High School?" Kurt nodded. "You went to McKinley High School?" Kurt nodded again. "I went to Dalton Academy. Our Glee Club competed against yours a few times. We tied once when I was lead singer but all other times you beat us."

Kurt stared at him wide eyed. Blaine had been right under his nose the whole time and he had never even known it. "I was in the New Directions. I remember the Dalton Academy Warblers."

"Wow, we just skirted by each other and never even caught the connection," Blaine said.

"As touching as this is boys, there are more pressing matters," Sue said, dropping her spellbinder tome on the bed. She started flipping through it and both boys seemed to have a hunch of what she was looking for.

"Don't bother," Kurt said. "There's nothing about the labrynth we don't already know. We already checked last night."

Sue looked up from the book and raised an eyebrow. "There's really only one way to find the labrynth." The two of them looked at each other. "Bring it to you."

Blaine looked at her like she was nuts or something. "You mean offer ourselves up as bait?" he asked. Sue nodded. "What about the tracking idea? You have a tracker already on Kurt and you pretty much said you knew where he was when he was in the labrynth."

Sue shut the book again and looked at him. "Porcelain is not going back in that labrynth." Kurt opened his mouth to protest and Sue put up a hand to silence him. "No spellbinder has ever survived the labrynth twice and you are still fresh and inexperienced. The fourth chosen be damned. You cannot go back in there. The captor will eat you alive!"

"But Rachel," Kurt started to say.

"Will be rescued. I honestly don't why you put up with her." Sue rolled her eyes.

"She's my friend!" Kurt spat back. "She's the only one I got left, since everyone else kind of walked out of my life and didn't look back and Finn is—"

"Dead, I know," Sue said. Kurt stared at her for a moment. "They got Jean too you know, The Vikings."

Kurt was confused. "What? But I thought your sister died as a result of her Down Syndrome." Sue shook her head.

"That's what everyone was meant to think. But no. The Vikings broke into the home and suffocated her with the Pom-Pom I gave her," she replied. Kurt just looked at her for a moment.

"How do you know that?" he asked. Blaine was sitting there quietly, watching the exchange between the two of them.

"Because that day you and Frankenteen were helping me clean out her room, I found their calling card etched into the bed frame." Kurt's eyes went wide. So Jean Sylvester had been murdered by The Vikings. "Shame they have yet to kill mother though," Sue went on.

"Bad blood?" Blaine asked bitterly. Sue looked at him.

"You'd know a bit about that wouldn't you young Burt Reynolds?" But she wasn't insulting him or mocking him. Contrary, she sounded almost like she was trying to be sympathetic but sympathy was not something Sue Sylvester did very well, unless of course you were Becky Jackson. She had always had a soft spot for that girl because she had Down Syndrome just like her sister Jean.

Blaine didn't say anything. Kurt moved to sit back down on the bed next to him and Sue pulled up a chair. So here they were, the three spellbinders. Never in a million years would Kurt have ever thought that the third spellbinder would be someone he already knew. But at least it was someone who had more experience.

"And I'm afraid I have some bad news," Sue started, crossing her legs. Blaine and Kurt glanced at each other. "More people that you know are in the labrynth now Kurt." You could tell it was serious when Sue Sylvester was calling you by your name.

"What? Why?" Blaine stated.

"I know why," Kurt said quietly. He looked between the two of them. "It's because he's trying to lure me back. The captor probably knows I'll do anything to save my friends."

"Except that the rest can't really be considered your friends anymore," Sue said. Kurt shallowly nodded his agreement and Blaine shot him a slightly sorry look. "But the captor doesn't know that. Even so, he knows you'll want back in for Rachel."

Blaine tapped his chin. "But if he's trying to lure Kurt, why do we need bait?" he asked.

"Because the captor knows very well that Kurt can only find him and the labrynth if he wants them to be found. The labrynth captor likes to play games. Hell, that's why he's the labrynth captor. He'll make Kurt chase after him. So we need to keep Kurt on the outside and send someone else. Someone he won't expect." She looked pointedly at Blaine.

"Me?" he asked, astounded. Kurt felt his stomach drop. There was no way he was letting Blaine go into the labrynth alone. Just no way. He was too connected to him even though they had barely known each other a day. He'd already lost too many people. He didn't want to lose Blaine too.

"Why not you?" Kurt asked.

Sue looked at him for a moment. "I'm the technology specialist. It works better for me to be on the outside." She paused and when she spoke again, her voice was unusually quiet. "Besides, I've already been in the labrynth."

Kurt found himself staring her, wondering when she had ever been in the labrynth. So if they didn't want to risk losing her or himself to the labrynth, the only logical explanation would be Blaine. He thought for a moment. He didn't want Blaine going into the labrynth but this was the only way.

"Fine. We use me as bait though." Blaine looked ready to protest that but Kurt shook his head. "He knows I'm a spellbinder and he probably knows Sue is one too but he doesn't know about you yet. Using you as bait would be obvious. We don't want you exposed before you even have a chance to enter Blaine."

Sue nodded her agreement. "Porcelain's right. There's no reason for him to want you right now and we need to keep it that way. I can't be bait because I was in the labrynth so long ago, he's probably given me up and moved on. But Kurt," she paused and looked at the pale man. "Kurt has been fresh to the labrynth. The captor desires him right now. He'd make excellent bait."

It was quiet and Blaine was still clearly hesitant about sending Kurt out as bait. The curly-haired man bit his lip but slowly nodded his head anyway. It was decided. Kurt would be bait and lure the labrynth to them. Blaine would enter and attempt rescue. And Sue would work out a way to potentially destroy the labrynth forever.

The three of them huddled in and threw themselves into planning.

* * *

"We've already been that way Rachel," came the exasperated voice of Mercedes Jones from behind the brunette.

Rachel wheeled on her, eyes flashing with irritation. "We've already been every way Mercedes! There is no way out!"

The third of their party, a blonde boy both thought looked vaguely familiar stuck his arms out between the two girls who were glaring each other down. Both girls looked at him with a glare but he didn't back off.

"Stop it! Fighting with each other is not going to help matters," he said.

"What do you know blondie?" Rachel spat. "You just got here!" He fixed her with an ominous stare, something his friends would have been surprised to notice.

"My name is Jeff," he said rather sharply. "And considering you are still stuck here, you really don't know much more than I do!"

Rachel paled. As much as she hated to admit it, he was right. Everyday that passed - and she had no idea just how many - she was regretting more and more the fact that she had let Kurt get out. He should still be here with her. She needed him. And Kurt seemed to understand the labrynth far better than anyone else that was stuck there. Rachel had yet to figure out why.

The captor had not given another opportunity for freedom since that day and things took an odd turn when Rachel became aware that several people she knew were appearing in the labrynth. By this time, practically all the New Directions were stuck in there with her, as well as a few boys - like Jeff - who were vaguely familiar but she couldn't put her finger on why. None of it made sense.

She opened her mouth to say something to Jeff when she was interrupted by the sound of a very familiar voice, speaking her name.

"Rachel."

The girl looked around with wide eyes. No, it wasn't possible. It could not be possible. He was dead. He had died. He had been murdered. In a sense, he was the reason she was in this predicament to begin with! Kurt just had to go back to Lima to investigate the murder. Why? Why was it so important for him to check it out?

"No. You're dead Finn," she bit out, staring straight ahead of her. Mercedes and Jeff exchanged glances. Water trickled in the fountain they were standing by. The labrynth may have been confusing but at least it was beautifully decorated.

There was a beat before the voice spoke again. "Maybe so, but there's a reason you're here. Just like there's a reason why Burt, Mom, and I were murdered. An underlying reason that goes for both."

Rachel was quiet, still staring straight ahead, eyes wide and confused. "What are you talking about?" she asked. Mercedes and Jeff were looking at her as though they thought she was crazy and Rachel became aware that neither of them could hear Finn. Just her.

"Kurt's a spellbinder Rachel."

A silent wave of realization hit her when Finn told her those words. It wasn't that spellbinders were a secret to the world. People knew they existed but it was not exactly common to discover your best friend was one of them. But it explained the whole labrynth thing and now it explained why more and more of their friends from Glee were turning up in the labrynth.

The girl's eyes widened more as she made further realizations.

"Oh my God! He's using us! He's using us to get Kurt!" Mercedes and Jeff looked at each other again. Finn did not reply and Rachel supposed he was gone now because his job was apparently done. Or maybe his voice was just the voice of reason within her own head, leading her to figure this out.

"What are you talking about Rachel?" Mercedes asked. The girl turned to look at her.

"Kurt. He's a spellbinder," she said quietly and Mercedes widened her eyes too.

"Wait, that's what this is about?" Jeff asked suddenly and the two girls looked at him confused as he started pacing. "This labrynth is a spellbinder thing?" he asked, though not expecting an answer. "This is bad."

"Why?" Rachel asked him.

Jeff looked up. He knew a little bit about it because the whole spellbinder thing had fascinated him to no end and he had researched it, his fascination only growing when Blaine had confided in him that he was a spellbinder.

It wasn't that spellbinders were meant to keep it from other people. Whether they wanted them to know was up to their discretion. But telling anyone was a huge risk. It was the most direct way to get their loved ones involved with the danger that surrounded their magic. It was the reason why Kurt had been so against Rachel going with him. He was sure that she would end up involved even without him telling her because of the nature of the situation.

"It means the captor knows. He'll do anything in his power to bring Kurt back here. You said he was here with you but got out?" Jeff said. Rachel nodded her head. The blonde boy sighed. "No spellbinder has ever escaped the labrynth twice." Rachel paled again. She knew what that could mean. "If he gets Kurt back in here, it could be the end of him."

Jeff didn't dare mention Blaine's name. He had no idea whether the captor could hear them or not. If Blaine had yet to experience the labrynth, he'd rather the captor not know Blaine was a spellbinder as long as possible. Otherwise, he wouldn't even have a first chance.

A determined expression crossed Rachel's face. "We need to find our own way out of here than. I'm not risking losing my best friend, not for something that is out of his control."

With a new pep to her step, Rachel started back off down the path with the intention of gathering everyone together. It was time to make a plan.


	3. The Elementals

Kurt was not even sure what to make of Sue being a spellbinder. Blaine had already caught on to why Kurt was a bit…well off when it came to the woman. Walking along beside the pale man as Sue lead the way, Blaine tossed him a look that seemed to ask, 'Is she for real?' All Kurt could do was sigh and nod. Blaine shook his head.

"Where are you taking us?" Kurt asked as Sue lead them back out to the Spanish countryside and barreled into the forest. Kurt wasn't sure if it was the same wood Blaine had emerged from or completely different. As far as he was concerned all woods looked the same.

Sue glanced over her shoulder and looked back at the two younger spellbinders. "The Elemental Forest," she replied.

Kurt and Blaine exchanged glances. The Elemental Forest? Both of them recognized the name but neither had ever known that it was in Spain. The Elemental Forest was where the Elementals congregated. It was their territory.

Elementals were people who had been blessed with the ability to call upon an element, whether it be water, Earth, air, fire, ice, light, dark, metal, spirit, even blood, which was one of the rarest. They all wielded one element and were a massive power source when they flocked together. They liked to work in groups, going off to different parts of the world to help humanity. But they never had two of the same elements in one group.

"The Elemental Forest is in Spain?" Blaine voiced the question they were both thinking. Sue didn't even glance back.

"The Elemental Forest is wherever it's needed," she replied.

Kurt and Blaine glanced at each other again. It sounded a lot like the Labrynth. Maybe the Elemental Forest was in a different dimension too. Sue had opened her spellbinder tome and stopped in front of a random tree.

The next thing the two of them knew, she was saying some sort of words under her breath, something neither of them could hear, and a portal opened in the tree in front of them. Sue snapped the book shut and turned to look at them. "You two have a lot to learn. Come on Porcelain, young Burt Reynolds, through the tree."

Sue stepped into the portal she had opened and the two teenagers paused, glancing at each other again before following her through the portal in the tree. It slid shut as Kurt brought his other leg through. He glanced back at it in surprise. That thing had nearly shut on him.

"You okay?" Blaine asked, seeing how the portal had just barely missed closing around Kurt's foot. Kurt blushed and nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine, thank you." Blaine smiled at him and reached out a hand to take Kurt's in his. Kurt blushed again and offered a small return smile.

Sue pressed on forward, not saying a word but Kurt and Blaine could tell they were no longer in the Spanish forest. Kurt noted little flicks of light passing through the trees. They were surrounded by Elementals, though they never saw a single one of them.

The quiet stretched on as Sue lead them further into the Elemental Forest until they came to a clearing with several little cottages surrounding the center. And there were a few people meandering about in the clearing, one in particular was very familiar to Kurt and his eyes went wide.

"Hello Shelby," Sue said approaching a woman Kurt had recognized immediately as Rachel's mother. Rachel's mother was an elemental. So…shouldn't Rachel be an elemental? Oh no. That could be bad. If the captor learned that Rachel had elemental blood, he could use that to his advantage.

"Sue," Shelby said with a nod of her head. "What brings you here?" It was then that she looked past Sue and took notice of Kurt and Blaine standing a few feet away, Kurt still staring in awe. "Kurt, you're a spellbinder," she went on with a nod.

Blaine gave Kurt a curious look. "How is it you seem to know everyone?" he asked.

Kurt sighed. "This is Shelby Corcoran. She's Rachel's mother," he explained. Blaine's eyes went wide.

Sue waved it all off and looked at Shelby. "We're here because we need to know what you know about the current actions of the captor, or his current whereabouts."

Shelby turned her attention back to Sue. "He has Rachel, I know," she said shortly, though Kurt was not surprised. Elementals had a strong sense of these things. Even though Rachel had been raised by two gay dads, it didn't lessen the bond between mother and child. Well, not the physical bond at least. "Last we knew, he had settled the portal down in Paris, France. But that was a few days ago. There's no way of telling how long he'll remain in one location."

Elementals had a strong connection to each other. Shelby probably was tracking it by her connection to Rachel, whether the girl was an Elemental or not.

"So I guess we're going to Paris," Sue replied, glancing back at Kurt and Blaine. "You know Kurt already. This is Blaine, the third of the spellbinders," she went on, officially introducing them.

Shelby nodded. She caught Kurt's eye and seemed to know the questions tumbling through his head. "Yes Kurt, Rachel is an Elemental. She's a Fire Elemental." Fire. That fit Rachel very well.

"So why doesn't she know this?" he asked.

Shelby sighed and rubbed her temples with her fingers. "Because her dads and I thought she'd be better protected if she didn't know." Kurt frowned.

"You do realize what could happen if the captor realizes he has an Elemental in the Labrynth, don't you?" Kurt asked.

"Yes Kurt."

Blaine, who was still holding Kurt's hand, furrowed his brow. "We need to work fast than. If Rachel doesn't know she's an Elemental, that could be bad if the captor finds out before she does," he said.

Kurt swallowed. Blaine was right. If the captor learned that Rachel was an Elemental before Rachel did, that could pan out badly for Rachel. Extremely badly. The captor did not approve of people disobeying his order. He used that as a threat. Meaning, either you let him manipulate your power or you meet the end of your life. That could happen any number of ways.

There were things about the Labrynth that would not be printed in detail. The captor liked to change up the paths so you were always lost. He fed and watered his captives but whether you could find the nourishment was on you. Sometimes he would create dangers in the Labrynth. When Kurt had been inside with Rachel, the two of them had nearly been crushed by closing walls once. Kurt's flexibility had just barely got the two of them out of that trap. And than there was the Minotaur that wandered the Labrynth. Those were only some of the things done.

Kurt started pacing. "Rachel needs to be freed, as soon as possible." He looked at Blaine. "Do everything you can when you're in there, yes?"

Blaine nodded. "Don't worry Kurt, we'll get her out of there." He squeezed his hand.

Shelby studied Kurt for a moment. "You've been in the Labrynth," she said.

Kurt sighed and nodded. "I'm afraid it's my fault Rachel's in there."

"No, Kurt, it's not," Shelby replied. And he looked at her with a confused expression on his face. "Rachel's Elemental being has a natural drive to be a part of everything. That's why she was so insistent on joining you when you left New York. We have a natural sense to protect." Kurt looked thoughtful for a moment. "She got herself into it by acting on her instinct to go with you."

Blaine nodded his head and looked at Kurt. "It's like in the past when some spellbinders have traveled with an Elemental companion. Rachel would likely be yours." Kurt hadn't thought of that.

It wasn't unheard of for spellbinders to travel with others of magical ability. It was more common that spellbinders would travel with an Elemental than it was for them to travel with a team from the Magician's Coven.

The Magician's Coven was a group of ten, five magicians and five apprentices. They had real magic and were internationally known as the best magicians in the world. Because they didn't do tricks in the sense that any magician would. They had the real magic skill. They used it to pull justice on the world. So they were heroes in a sense. The apprentices were being trained to one day be the magicians. It was how the group evolved over the years. But you never knew who was actually a magician and who was playing pretend. There were so many well known magicians. Though Kurt was sure that one of them was Criss Angel.

He shook his head off. Dwelling on the Magician's Coven was not the important thing. Because it wasn't exactly obvious who was actually in the coven and who was playing pretend, it was very rare that you would find any of the coven working together with spellbinders. Elementals were plentiful and more common. They were also more likely to agree to work together.

"You may need a fae," Kurt caught Shelby saying. He pulled himself out of his musings and back to the conversation.

"Fae?" Blaine questioned. "Haven't they been extinct for a number of years?" Shelby smiled at him.

"That's what we're meant to think. After the scandal where the fae were taken advantage of by one of the rare spellbinder bad eggs, they prefer to keep to themselves and work with no one. So they made out that their kind had been wiped out."

Blaine frowned slightly. "What makes you think that they'll work with us? You just said it was a spellbinder that did them wrong."

Kurt could see what Blaine was getting at but he had an idea. He pulled out the vial of stardust he had. "Maybe if we strike a deal. Stardust is hard to find and fae often use it in their magic. If I offer them the stardust, they might agree to help us."

Sue was surprised by the vial in Kurt's hand. "Where did you get that Porcelain?"

"The captor has a giant globe full of it in the Labrynth," he replied, tucking the vial back into his knapsack for safe keeping. Sue looked thoughtful for a moment, a strange look for the woman but she must have been thinking of something. Whatever it was, she chose not to divulge now.

"Stardust would definitely be a high enough price to trade for their help," Shelby said. She was starting to pack a small bag herself and Kurt wondered what she was doing. "Also, since they still have an alliance with us, you'll have an easier time getting an audience with them if you have an Elemental in your party. So I'm coming with you."

Blaine seemed to catch on quicker than Kurt did. "You're doing this because you want to help rescue Rachel," he said. Shelby flushed slightly. She hadn't realized that her real reason for coming along was easily picked out. Kurt sensed that she harbored some level of guilt.

"You feel guilty," he stated softly.

"To be honest, yes, I do. I feel that if Rachel had known about her Elemental power all along, things might have turned out differently."

Kurt didn't say that he didn't agree with that. He was thinking the only difference would have been that Rachel would already know that he was a spellbinder. His hand ghosted lightly over the spot where his spellbinder tattoo rested. It was then that he remembered something.

"The flame tattoo with the E in the center. Why didn't I piece it together before?" he asked aloud. Rachel had a small flame tattoo just behind her right ear, a location that would be extremely difficult for her to see herself. It had an elegantly scripted white letter E in the center. Of course, it had gone over his head that the tattoo was an Elemental mark.

Elementals had tattoos that referenced what element they had power in. The flame indicated that Rachel's was fire. Also, it's position on her body explained why she'd never figured it out herself. She couldn't actually see it.

"Rachel needs to know the truth," Shelby said. "You've seen her tattoo Kurt?" she asked.

"Yes,"Kurt said with a nod. "It's behind her right ear."

Shelby finished packing her bag and swung it over her shoulder. She looked between the three of them, from Sue to Kurt to Blaine and back to Sue again.

"Shall we than?" she asked. Without waiting for a response, she waved her hand and opened a portal in a nearby tree. "Right. I know you want to go after the Labrynth but I think we need to visit the fae kingdom first. We need to try and get help from them because you're going to need it." Her eyes locked on Blaine. "Especially you if you're planning on entering the Labrynth."

Blaine tapped his chin for a moment before giving his head a shake. "No, fae magic is easily tracked. If I go into the Labrynth with it on me, I'll be pinpointed in no time and our mission could fail before it even really begins," he said.

Blaine was right of course. The issue with fae magic was that it was easily recognized, most particularly now that they were supposed to be extinct. Using the fae magic on the inside could very well spell doom for Blaine before he even made a step in the right direction.

"He's right," Sue said. "We need to use the fae magic from the outside."

Kurt wasn't sure how they were going to use it. But they would figure it out. He stepped forward and stood in front of the three of them. "We might need to make a plan with the fae. We can't rush into this. So if we have to, we'll stay with the fae until we iron out all the kinks." He looked at Blaine. "I'm going to give you a couple of vials. If you get a chance when you are in the Labrynth, get some more stardust we can use for payment," he went on. Blaine nodded his head.

"I'm impressed Porcelain," Sue said. "You do have fourth chosen leadership skills." She smirked at him and Kurt's eyes went wide. Maybe it wouldn't be that bad if he took the lead. Apparently, it was a given for a fourth chosen.

Shelby looked surprised. "You're the fourth chosen Kurt?"

Kurt nodded slowly, a little confused that she hadn't picked up on that beforehand.

"Than you might be able to enter the Labrynth again after all."

Sue, Blaine, and Kurt all glanced at each other with wide eyes. Elementals did have knowledge that the spellbinders didn't it. "The fae could explain that in depth but it's possible with the heightened ability, the fourth chosen may be strong enough to survive the Labrynth more than once."

This was news to the three spellbinders, probably because it had never been attempted by the fourth chosen before. The fourth chosen was a rare occurrence and as such, it was known that none of the spellbinders who had been lost to the Labrynth were the fourth chosen. But with this information, they figured they might need to revise their plan. They could do that after they got more information from the fae.

The one thing about the fae was that they knew all that went on in the world of magic. They would only divulge useful information in a trade though. Kurt was hoping the stardust would be enough to earn their help in more ways than one. And he didn't want to promise more without knowing for sure he could get it.

With those thoughts in mind, he nodded his head and climbed through the portal. Only to be knocked upside the head by a blunt object on the other side.


	4. Captives of the Fae

"Kurt? Kurt, wake up! Please?"

A groan left the pale man's mouth and he slowly blinked open his eyes. Blaine was leaning over him, eyes wide with concern. Kurt could feel the pounding in his head from where the blunt object had hit it.

As he regained consciousness, he slowly became aware of the cold hard ground beneath him and a sound like dripping water, much in the form of a leaky faucet.

"My head," Kurt groaned as Blaine helped him sit up. His hand went to the back of his head, rubbing it gently. "Where are we?" he asked. "What happened?" Blaine looked at him for a moment, biting his lip.

"Apparently, the fae have guards everywhere. They rush immediately at the first sign of an unwanted portal. You have to be invited to step foot in the fae kingdom." Kurt just looked at him for a moment so Blaine went on. "So, since you stepped through first, they clonked you in the back of the head and took us all hostage. You've been out a few hours."

Kurt's eyes went wide and he continued rubbing at the back of his head. He took a moment to look around. They were in a dark dank dungeon. He could see Sue pacing and Shelby was seated against the wall. Though they were hard to make out in the darkened dungeon. A tiny window high above their heads was their only means of light and Kurt could just tell that it was nighttime.

So they were in the Fae Kingdom but they were being held prisoner. Lovely. Kurt seemed to have a knack for this kind of thing. Getting captured it seemed. He wouldn't be surprised if he went down in history for being the most captured spellbinder ever. This was ridiculous.

It was then that he noticed something else that had him disturbed. "Where are our knapsacks?" he asked.

Blaine sighed. "They took them when they caught us. Got mine and Sue's spellbinder tomes too." Kurt frowned.

"So they know what we are?" he asked. Blaine nodded, biting his lip. "Fucking perfect."

"They won't search the items Kurt," Shelby said from her seat against the wall. Kurt raised an eyebrow. "It's not in their nature to pry through other people's belongings. They probably have them locked somewhere, mostly so we can't use the items."

Kurt looked back at Blaine and noticed something else. "Blaine, your galaxy crystal."

Sue stopped pacing at these words and glanced over. "You have a galaxy crystal?" she asked wide-eyed.

Blaine looked up and sighed. "I did. The fae took it." Kurt gave his head a shake. They couldn't let the fae have that crystal. That would be bad news for the fae. Which is probably why they took it. Maybe they thought Blaine was going to use it.

A galaxy crystal was toxic to the fae. They still had yet to learn why but it somehow prevented the fae from using their magic. And the longer it was in their presence, binding their abilities, the weaker the fae became. Eventually, if the fae was around the crystal long enough it could kill them. Essentially, a galaxy crystal was a cause of a long and suffering, though painless death for the fae. To take it away from Blaine would mean they would actually have to touch it.

"It doesn't make sense," Kurt said.

"Yes it does," Blaine replied. "The leather strap." For a moment Kurt just stared at him, not getting the point and then it hit him.

"Shit. You were wearing it around your neck on that leather strap. They wouldn't have had to actually touch it at all," he confirmed. Blaine nodded his head.

"That's still a bold move anyway," Shelby said. "Risky. Just because they didn't have to touch the crystal, doesn't mean it wasn't still subduing their magic. It doesn't have to be touched but the closer it is to the fae in possession, the stronger the bind."

Sue nodded her head. "No doubt they put the crystal under heavy security and probably surrounded it with a glass case. With the glass in the way, they can get as close to it as they want and never feel the effects of its draining power."

Silence drifted over all of them. Blaine shifted so that he was sitting beside Kurt, wincing as the dampness from the dungeon floor seeped through the bottom of his pants. Kurt automatically grabbed his hand and Blaine turned to look at him. A soft smile graced the pale man's face and Blaine found that the little light from the moon was just enough to make Kurt's eyes sparkle. And oh, how they sparkled. His eyes were so captivatingly beautiful and Blaine thought he could spend hours just staring into them.

"Burt Reynolds, Porcelain, stop making dough eyes at each other and start thinking," Sue snapped, shaking both boys from their trance. Kurt and Blaine blushed and glanced down at the dungeon floor.

The question was, what were they thinking of? Means of escape? The only way out Kurt could even see was that tiny window and even though he was rather slender, he doubted he could fit through it. This was the fae kingdom and Kurt had no reason to believe that a regular door would be the way out of the dungeon.

Shelby got to her feet and started walking the perimeter of the room, hand pressed against the wall. Kurt watched her curiously. What was she doing? It was quiet for several moments. Sue stopped pacing and watched Shelby as well. Kurt and Blaine glanced at each other and continued watching the Elemental until Shelby came to a stop on the other side of the room, hand pressed firmly to the wall.

"Here," she said. The three spellbinders glanced at each other. What was she on about?

"Here what?" Sue asked and Kurt found it strange that for once, she didn't have answers herself. A clueless Sue must mean they were really in trouble.

"This part of the wall is soft, hollow. It means the fae use it to create a doorway but only when needed," Shelby explained. So that's how they did it. They used their magic to make the door come and go as they pleased. It was a way to ensure prisoners did not try to escape.

Sue grumbled to herself. "If I had my spellbinder tome, I'm sure I could find a spell in there that would give us that door."

Kurt knew that Sue did not approve of not having the one up. She liked to be top dog and have the advantage over the enemy.

Shelby shook her head. "You want to form an alliance with the fae. Breaking out of the dungeon is not going to earn you trust points with them. If you hope to track down the Labrynth and break out the captives, you're going to need the fae on your side."

The blonde woman threw a glare at Shelby. "Don't you think it's a little late for that, considering we're already fae prisoners?" she snarled.

"No," Kurt said. Sue looked over at him, as did Blaine and Shelby. "We just have to add our freedom to the bargain." He tapped his chin in thought. The only thing was, that vial of stardust certainly was not enough to bargain their freedom, the fae's help, and a place to stay until they could formulate a plan. "We need more than the stardust to help our end of the bargain though."

Blaine looked thoughtful for a moment before turning to Shelby. "Is there anything you could give them by way of Elemental magic that would be useful?"

Shelby shook her head. "No, I don't think so. I'm an air Elemental." Blaine frowned. "There's not much I can do to help the fae concerning air. We need a water Elemental." Blaine looked confused for a moment before she explained. "The fae have been experiencing terrible droughts. It's making their herbs and gardens and all their plants hard to grow. They need that stuff for their magic and also for food."

"So if we had a water Elemental, we could bargain with much needed water," Kurt confirmed. Why was it life got so difficult? There was never any easy way out.

The sound of footsteps on the other side of the hollow wall caused the three of them to fall silent. Shelby quickly retracted her hand and backed up several paces. For the fae to enter and find her standing right there would not be a good thing.

Sparkles materialized in the air as magic was cast and a doorway appeared in the wall. A tall boy with a shock of black hair atop his head and crystal wings sprouting from his back stepped through it, brandishing a wand in one hand. The expression on his face was unreadable. Kurt glanced at Blaine out of the corner of his eye. He saw Blaine do the same thing. Neither of them recognized the boy, thankfully. It seemed like every time they ran into another magical being, they turned out to be someone Kurt knew already.

Fae could blend in with the human world if they wanted. They didn't have to hide their wings from regular humans because regular humans could not see them, unless the fae cast a viewing spell on them. But spellbinders, Elementals, and the Magician's Coven could see them freely. But it wasn't a difficult task to hide them either. They were retractable. Fae normally retracted their wings when they were anywhere they could be spotted by one of the three, especially Elementals. Since they were everywhere. And now that the fae wanted the rest of the world to think they had died out, hiding their wings in the open was crucial.

"So," the fae said. "All three current spellbinders and an air Elemental, not a bad catch." A smirk crossed his face. Fae also had a knack for knowing right off the back what element an Elemental specialized in. They didn't need to see the tattoo. "What right did you think you had to enter the fae kingdom without invitation?" He directed his question at Sue, Kurt, and Blaine.

Kurt pulled himself to his feet. "We meant no harm. We were hoping to get information on the Labrynth and your help," he told him. The fae's eyes went wide.

"Why would you need information on the Labrynth?" he asked in a suspicious tone.

"I want to rescue my friend Rachel. Shelby said that the fourth chosen might be strong enough to survive the Labrynth more than once," Kurt replied, truthfully.

The fae's eyes widened and he stared at Kurt in wonder. "You're the fourth chosen?" he asked, completely surprised. Kurt nodded.

"Yes, and I have a vial of stardust in my knapsack. I was going to offer it to you guys in exchange for your help."

At this information, the fae's eyes went even wider and he slid his wand behind his ear, cautiously stepping further into the room. His gaze was locked solely on Kurt and Kurt could feel himself start to sweat under his penetrative gaze. He told himself not to say anything stupid.

Swallowing Kurt went on. "I got the stardust from a glass globe in the Labrynth. I've already been in it once. I'd offer to promise you more if you help us out, but I don't want to make a promise I can't guarantee will be fulfilled."

The fae gazed at him for several long moments. It was as though he had never seen such an honest spellbinder before. "You talk a good bargain and thank you for your honesty. We fae do not take likely to spellbinders because we've been taken advantage of. But by the mere statement of you saying you did not want to make a promise you can't guarantee you can keep, I feel that I can trust you. And by default, your two companions." He nodded his head toward Blaine and Sue, both of whom seemed to relax a bit. "My name in Ronan. Wait here a while longer and I will see if I can get you an audience with the fae queen."

That being said, he turned around, pulling the wand from behind his ear and walked back through the doorway. Sparkles shot from the tip of the wand as the wall sealed shut once more.

"Huh," Kurt said in confusion. "That was easier than I thought it would be."

"Only because you were honest with him upfront," Shelby said. "Fae strive for honesty. A little honesty can go a long way in the fae kingdom. They hold a high bar with it. Lying is a serious offense to a fae. Enough so that people have been put to death for lying to a fae."

Kurt stared at her in shock. He hadn't even known that. Granted, he hadn't known much about the fae to begin with because he thought they were extinct but Kurt wouldn't have lied even if he had thought it was the better idea. Kurt didn't like lying to people. He would rather take the risk of being brutally honest. He probably would have made a good fae, had he been one.

Ronan had scarcely been gone a few moments when he suddenly returned, a look of recognition on his face. "Are you Kurt Hummel, son of Elizabeth Hart Hummel?" he asked. Kurt stared at him in surprise. How did the fae know his mother's name? Slowly, he gave him a small nod. "My apologies my liege," Ronan said, bowing.

"I…what?" Kurt asked. He glanced between Sue, Blaine, and Shelby as though he thought one of them had the answer.

"She never told you?" Ronan questioned.

"Told me what?"

Blaine stood and came to grab Kurt's hand, an action that alerted the pale man to the fact that his body was shaking ever so slightly.

Ronan began to walk the length of the room, arms crossed over his chest. "Your mother was half-fae," he said. Kurt stared at him in astonishment. What in the world was this boy getting at?

"That's not possible," Sue said. "Fae can't be spellbinders and Elizabeth was a spellbinder."

Blaine shook his head. "Correction, full fae can't be spellbinders. Ronan just said that Elizabeth was half-fae."

"And half-human," Ronan confirmed. Kurt just stared at him. "Elizabeth was the daughter of the queen," he went on. Wait, did this mean that Kurt was royal? "Fae don't always have to marry and reproduce with other fae. The queen took her chances with a human she had fallen in love with. Your mother was born of that union. Her human father made her eligible to be a spellbinder, which she was. And she was the first spellbinder fae trusted in a long time because she was their princess."

Kurt squeezed Blaine's hand. This was all a bit overwhelming for him. Blaine squeezed back, attempting to reassure him.

"So, you're telling me I'm a quarter fae?" Kurt asked quietly.

Ronan shook his head. "You're more than a quarter Kurt." Kurt could not for the life of him figure out how that was possible. "Your dad had fae blood too."

Kurt's eyes went wide, but not because he was surprised to learn his father had fae blood. It was for another reason entirely. A reason that only upped his desire to rid the world of those damn Vikings. And it was Blaine who brought voice to what Kurt was currently thinking.

"But then, The Vikings broke one of magic's biggest laws." Ronan nodded. The Viking Coven that had attacked Kurt's family could very well be put to death if they were caught. It was a ruthless crime to slay a fae. And by connection, if The Vikings had a hand in the death of Kurt's mother, that coven could be put to death too.

"I know what you're thinking Kurt," Ronan said. "The Vikings had nothing to do with Elizabeth's death but since they killed your father, the coven responsible will find themselves facing execution if caught."

"They also killed a couple of Elementals," Shelby spoke up suddenly. Ronan, Kurt, Blaine, and Sue all looked at her. "Finn and Carole were Elementals Kurt. If your stepbrother was alive now, he'd be useful to us. He was a water Elemental."

If Kurt said he was looking forward to more surprises, he'd be lying. He'd had enough for one night. First he learns that his mother was fae royalty. Then he learns that his dad was part fae too and because of that the coven of The Vikings that killed him could be put to death. And finally, he learns that Finn and Carole were Elementals, with Finn being a water Elemental. Killing an Elemental was not quite as high a crime as killing a fae but killing a fae was completely disregarded nowadays because everyone believed they were extinct.

"So, once I tell the queen who you are, she will demand an audience," Ronan said, trying to smooth over the bumps. "You are her grandson and the fae prince after all." Without another word, he turned and walked out of the room, the doorway sealing behind him.

Kurt was not sure what to make of this new development. The only thing he was sure of now, was that their attempt to ally with the fae just got a hundred times easier.


	5. Meet The Captor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is no Kurt or Blaine in this chapter as it takes place at the Labrynth. More Kurt and Blaine next chapter!

"So, you think you're going to get help from the fae," snapped the voice of the captor. He was staring into a viewing globe, one that allowed him to watch his prey. If they thought that Blaine would be able to get in and out of his Labrynth easily because he didn't know he was a spellbinder, they had a lot to learn about the captor. He laughed wholeheartedly. "We'll see about that. I have the advantage here, your highness."

Turning away from the globe the captor turned his eyes on the window that peered out into his Labrynth. He could see the whole thing from where he stood. He could pinpoint every captive's location. His eyes zeroed in on Rachel, the knowledge he had just obtained from the viewing globe coursing through his veins.

Deciding that something needed to be done now, the captor turned on his heel and exited his viewing room. He walked the long and lanky halls outside the Labrynth until he came to a wide metal door. The door had a small window with bars across it high up in the top. A keypad was fixed to the right-hand side. The captor smoothly punched in five numbers and the little red light on the keypad turned green. There was a click and the door opened on its own accord.

The captor entered the room and looked around. He had prisoners in here. Those who would prove especially useful to him. They were kept locked in here rather than wandering around the Labrynth.

Ignoring the few he had, the captor walked to a set of handcuffs hanging from the ceiling in the middle of the room. He pulled a rag from his pocket and draped it over the cuffs before walking to a small table where he picked up a spray bottle. Returning to the cuffs, he retrieved the rag and sprayed the metal down before using the rag to clean it thoroughly. They needed to be clean of blood residue from the last occupant before he chained the new one up.

"Who are you taking?" asked a voice. The captor turned in his work and glanced over at the man. The guy had his hands cuffed to the wall and looked rather worn down but it didn't stop him from fixing his steely gaze on the captor.

A quiet laugh came through the iron mask the captor wore to hide his features from his captives. "Wouldn't you like to know? I'm pulling another Elemental."

He picked up one of the cuffs and examined it. It would fit around the girl's wrist nicely. If she knew what was good for her, she would learn about her power and learn quickly. Otherwise, she would meet a suffering fate. And the captor would win. He could only imagine the guilt that would pour through Kurt if he failed to successfully rescue Rachel and in the end, that would be his undoing and he would never have to even set foot in the Labrynth.

With the knowledge that Kurt was part fae in his head, the captor knew ways to manipulate things in his own favor. Fae did not cope well with guilt. True, with Kurt having human blood too, he would be able to cope a lot better than if he were full blooded fae. But if he were full blooded fae, he wouldn't mean so much to the captor because he wouldn't be a spellbinder. Still though, he would not cope easily. He already wasn't.

It was then that the captor got a sudden idea. He turned back on the man who had spoken. "I could use you for this," he said lightly.

The man narrowed his eyes. "Like hell I will let you chain up another of us," he spat.

The captor did not reply right away. Instead, he crossed the room to a plethora of weapons and pulled a whip from the batch.

"How long has it been since I lashed you?" he asked quite calmly. His beady eyes fixed their gaze back on the man, seeming to glint in the dim room.

The man tensed. "What do you need me to do?" he gave in.

Laughing fully, the captor replaced the whip and walked toward the man. He gripped his chin in his beefy hand and locked his beady eyes on the man's. "Thought so. You know Rachel Berry, don't you?"

The man's eyes went wide. "You have Rachel?"

The captor laughed. "Oh Will, I have every single one of your little glee kids. Except for Kurt." He snarled out Kurt's name. "I did have him but little spellbinder got out on the opportunity for freedom."

When he heard the word 'spellbinder', Will's eyes widened just a bit. One of his own former students was a spellbinder?

"But you see," the captor went on. "Kurt is also part fae. So guilt will hurt him." He laughed again. "Not that you would care about that would you Will?" He didn't give the man time to respond. Jerking his face a bit by the grip he had on his chin. "You will do exactly as I say or receive a double lashing, am I clear?" Will nodded forcefully. "Good."

The captor pulled a small key from his pocket and carelessly unlocked the cuffs binding Will to the wall and the man dropped to the floor.

"Get up!" the captor shouted at him. Will scrambled unsteadily to his feet. The captor placed a hand on his shoulder and forced him in front of him. "Walk," he commanded and Will did as he was told. He walked, being forcefully lead by the captor, who kept his hand on Will's shoulder.

They left the room, the door automatically clicking shut behind them and the captor turned Will in the direction of a pair of double doors. These double doors lead down a flight of stairs and right into the Labrynth. All the while, Will could feel the captor's beady eyes on the back of his neck.

When they reached the double doors, the captor dropped his hand from Will's shoulder and pulled one open. "Go and bring me Rachel. If you try anything funny, I have a nice knife that is just waiting for something to sever. I'm sure your body won't miss a certain appendage very much."

Will gulped and nodded his head quickly. He turned and passed through the door, making his way down the stairs. His head was reverberating with thoughts. How was he going to get out of this? If only he hadn't used light magic in the Labrynth. But he hadn't been able to see and his mistake had cost him. The captor knew now that Will was a light Elemental. The only magical beings the captor didn't lock up were the spellbinders. His pleasure with them was that they met their doom in the Labrynth.

Will sighed heavily. Cupping his hands together, he came to a stop at the bottom of the stairs. "I call upon the power of light. Light me up the path that will lead me to Rachel," he said. A warm golden glow built up in his hands and shot forward down the path in front of him, turning a bend a little ways down and filling the Labrynth with light.

With one last glance back up the stairs, Will began to follow the path made by the light. He could just barely hear it shooting around curves and marking the way. Rachel was obviously quite a far way off from the stairs. The stairs were in plain view at their point in the Labrynth. Will would have wondered why the captives had never tried to go up them before because surely, they would see them in passing but the captor had answered that question without his asking. He had a spell on the stairs. Captives could not see them unless he intended them to. Rachel was intended so she would see them now.

He began to think about the kids and wondered why the captor, or rather how, had all of them. It was a bit amazing that even walking the paths of the Labrynth now, he seemed to encounter no one and there were plenty of captives to run into. That just proved how large the Labrynth was.

After some time of walking the path lit for him by the light, Will came to a familiar nook where there were blankets and pillows meant for sleep. The captor showed little hospitality to those in the Labrynth but his intent was not to let them freeze. He just liked seeing them consistently lost. He liked playing games.

Rachel was seated on the ground with one of the blankets wrapped around her. A quiet sniff told Will that she was crying. Her eyes were downcast and she was alone.

"Rachel," Will said quietly. The girl's head shot up and she looked at him with red rimmed eyes. She was surprised to see him there.

"Mr. Schue?" she choked out. He nodded. "You don't look so good." she pointed out.

"I could say the same for you. Come on, I've been sent to collect you." He wasn't sure how much he should tell her. He wasn't even sure how she would take it. "I know that doesn't sound pretty but, it will get you out of this Labrynth."

That was all the convincing Rachel needed. Clearly, she was at the point where she didn't care how she got out, just that she did get out. She stood shakily to her feet and walked over to him. Will turned and cupped his hands again, repeating the request for the path of light. Rachel was astounded by the act.

"You're…you're a light elemental?" she questioned. Just because Rachel was kept in the dark about being an Elemental herself, didn't mean she didn't know about them.

Will threw her a smile over his shoulder and started walking. She followed behind him for a few moments before he came to a sudden stop and turned around. "Rachel, come here a moment," he said. She looked slightly confused but stepped over to him nonetheless.

Will reached up a hand to gently bend back her right ear. There, marked into her skin was the flame tattoo with the little white E in the center.

"I can't believe no one ever told you," Will said, dropping his hand.

"Told me what?" Rachel questioned. Will gave her a sympathetic look.

"That you're a fire Elemental," he replied. She stared at him with wide eyes as though she had never seen him before. "It's why the captor sent me to collect you." Rachel could tell by the tone in his voice that this was not necessarily a good thing but she was still riding on the fact that she was getting out of the Labrynth at least. She pulled the blanket tighter around her.

Neither of them said anything else as Will lead Rachel along the lit path back to the stairs that lead out of the Labrynth and Rachel wondered why she had never noticed them before.

"Because the captor only allows you to see them if you are intended to," Will answered her unasked question. "I wondered the same thing, believe me."

The two of them proceeded up the stairs and Rachel tensed a bit when she saw the man in the iron mask standing on the other side of the doorway. So that was the captor. His immediate reaction was to pull the blanket from her roughly and toss it back into the Labrynth before slamming the door shut behind them.

"You won't be needing that," he said. Placing one hand on each of their shoulders, he forced both to move in front of him. "Walk," he spat out. Neither of them dared to disobey and they started walking.

As he had done with Will before, the captor guided both Elementals by his hands on their shoulders, leading them back to the room. He took the hand from Will's shoulder to type in the code when they reached it before placing it back roughly and steering them into the room.

The captor forced Will to stop and told him to stay where he was. He pushed Rachel forward and lead her to the cuffs in the middle of the room that he had been cleaning. Rachel didn't dare try to fight against him as he grabbed her wrists and locked them tightly into the cuffs. She was so short, her feet dangled in the air rather than touching the ground and she hung heavily, cringing at the weight it put on her wrists. The captor patted her cheek twice before proceeding to lock Will back up.

"You have done well," he said, gripping Will's chin again. "Maybe I will grant you a reward." Will didn't know what the captor considered a reward but he wasn't sure he wanted to know.

In a few quick steps and silent movements, the captor had retreated from the room with the door sliding shut behind him.

"Ow," Rachel whimpered.

"Quit your bitching little girl," spat a voice from the left side of the room. Will jerked his head in the direction of the speaker.

"Shut your trap Armand!" he spat at him. "Not everyone gets off from being locked up."

It was then that Rachel took notice of the rather unpleasant smell in the room and she turned her head. "Get off? You don't mean…" she trailed off.

Will let out a sigh. "Armand here has some very weird fetishes. He's a metal Elemental, which he could use to break himself free but oddly, he prefers being locked up because it gets him off!"

Rachel wrinkled her nose in disgust and Armand snickered. "Hey, you gotta get off somehow right?" Will found himself wishing he had that knife the captor had mentioned. Maybe he could use it to get rid of Armand's appendage. Than the guy might think a little more about using his ability to get them free. "And if you haven't noticed, the captor's not stupid Schuester. I'm bound in rope, not chains and cuffs."

Of course. Why would the captor bind a metal Elemental in chains and cuffs? He had been doing this for years and years. He would know what the smarter move was. But of course, Will hadn't thought of that.

"What is she?" Armand asked and Will could see his eyes raking over Rachel's body hungrily. If he were free right now, he'd backhand that pervert across the face.

"She's a fire Elemental," he said firmly. "And if you don't stop staring at her like that, I will rip you a new hole the first chance I get. She's a lady, not a piece of meat."

Rachel cringed when she heard the exchange. "Thank you Mr. Schue," she said quietly. She wriggled uncomfortably, feeling Armand's eyes boring into her back.

"She's the first female we've had in here in a while Schuester. You can't blame me for using it as a stimulant," Armand said, voice dripping with just a hint of hunger and seduction. Rachel cringed again. She was not comfortable with this.

"I have a boyfriend and if he comes and gets me, he'll beat the living crap out of you," she said quickly. Unfortunately, Rachel wasn't thinking of Brody back in New York. She was thinking of Finn, who couldn't come to her rescue because he was dead. Maybe though, she could pretend that Kurt was her boyfriend. But getting Kurt to pass as a straight guy was easier said than done. Even if he wore just regular t-shirts and jeans instead of his usual fashion, he was very easily picked out as gay. His facial features kind of screamed it. What with the care he took of his skin and his immaculate hair.

Armand laughed. "You really think I'm scared of your little boyfriend? I can very easily use my metal powers to stop him. Besides, what makes you think he can find you?"

Rachel stared hard at a spot on the wall in front of her. She did not approve of this jerk and he was making her angry, not to mention uncomfortable.

Before she could reply, they heard the door opening again and the captor entered the room, carrying a glass globe with him. Armand fell silent and Rachel and Will watched him curiously. He crossed the room to come to a stop in front of Will.

"I promised you a reward so this is what you get," the captor said. Will's eyes fell on the globe and he was greeted with a familiar office and redheaded woman sitting behind a desk.

"Emma…" Will whispered. At that precise moment, an unfamiliar boy with a shock of black hair atop his head entered Emma's office. Will could not recall ever seeing this boy before but Emma seemed to know him. She startled and looked up in surprise.

"Ronan, what are you doing here?" Emma asked, her voice echoing out of the viewing globe and reverberating around the room.

"We need you Emma. We found the prince. And it's someone you know very well," the boy called Ronan replied.

Emma stood from her desk and straightened some papers. "I can't just take absent Ronan," she said.

Ronan crossed the room and fixed her with a firm gaze. "I know my lady. I've already handled that, but we need your assistance. You have more knowledge about this particular thing than most of us do. The queen has requested your help with her grandson."

Emma bit her lip, clearly a bit surprised that Ronan had already taken such measures. "Very well," she replied. And Will watched as his beloved flexed her back, crystal wings suddenly sprouting from it. "Let's go."

Emma was a fae.


	6. Meeting With the Queen

If he said that he wasn't nervous about meeting the fae queen, who was his grandmother, who he hadn't actually seen in a long time, Kurt would be lying. But it did kind of make sense why he had rarely seen her when his mom was still alive and why he hadn't actually seen her since then either. Though he wasn't sure why she felt she couldn't see him with her daughter no longer living. That part didn't make sense to Kurt at all.

He was seated in a big comfortable armchair by a fire, flanked with a comfortable couch and another armchair. Sue and Shelby were seated on the couch and Blaine was standing beside his chair, obviously leaving the other armchair open for the fae queen.

Kurt twisted his hands nervously and Blaine placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"Hey," he said. "I'm right here if you need me." Kurt smiled up at him, blushing ever so slightly. He reached out a hand to cover Blaine's and squeezed it gently.

"Thank you," he whispered.

"No need to thank me," Blaine replied with a smile. The two of them found themselves gazing into each other's eyes.

"I see your mother's prediction was right," came a sudden kindly voice. Kurt and Blaine both jumped and looked toward the speaker with startled expressions on their faces. A rather full bodied kindly elderly woman was standing just within the room. Her crystal wings glittered in the torchlight surrounding the doorway. A diamond encrusted tiara sat upon her head. Her hair was a soft grey and piled into an elaborate updo.

"Sorry, what prediction?" Kurt managed to get out. The woman smiled kindly at him and made her way to the other armchair to sit down.

She called for tea from an attendant and rested back easily in the chair, still smiling at Kurt. Kurt felt slightly like he was on display and he fidgeted in his seat. Blaine gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

The woman, who was obviously the fae queen turned to face the couch where Sue and Shelby sat. "If you don't mind, I'd like to speak with my grandson and the other boy alone please."

Sue looked like she wanted to protest but Shelby shook her head sharply. She could earn herself a lot of trouble if she dared to contradict the queen of the fae. So the two of them left the room, Sue grumbling something about the spellbinders needing to formulate a plan together and not appreciating being kept out of the loop.

The queen's attention returned to Kurt and Blaine and she gestured for Blaine to take a seat on the couch. He did but took hold of Kurt's hand, an action which Kurt was grateful for. He was still very nervous.

"Elizabeth always knew Kurt," the queen started, pouring some tea the attendant had brought her into a cup and holding it out for him. Kurt took it with a gracious word of thanks and the queen did the same for Blaine before finally pouring a cup for herself.

"Always knew what?" Kurt asked, setting the tea down on the small table beside the armchair he was sitting in.

The queen looked between the two boys with a gentle smile. "That you were fond of boys." Kurt was stunned for a moment, before he remembered it shouldn't be that surprising. After all, his dad had said he'd known since Kurt was three. Wanting a pair of sensible heels apparently was a dead give away, even at that young age.

"Oh," was all he managed to say. He blushed deeply. Kurt hadn't exactly shared this information with Blaine yet. Mostly because he was slightly afraid that Blaine was just a really comfortable straight guy who didn't mind cuddling and holding hands with other guys. But then, guys like that couldn't be completely straight, right?

But one glance at Blaine now and Kurt knew. He knew that Blaine was gay too. The complete and utter joy in his hazel orbs spoke volumes.

"Is that why you wanted us alone?" Blaine asked, not able to tear his eyes away from Kurt. The pale man was just too stunningly beautiful and now that he knew that Kurt liked boys…

The queen chuckled lightly. "No Mr. Anderson." Blaine's head snapped up. How had she known his name? She winked at him. "I'm the fae queen Blaine. I know all there is to know about the world of magic. Also, the fae have possession of the spellbinder scroll."

Kurt's eyes went wide. "The spellbinder scroll? The ancient scroll of parchment that has the names of every single spellbinder that ever existed?"

"That's the one," she replied with a smile. "The moment a new spellbinder is chosen or born, their name becomes scripted to the bottom of the list." She fixed her gaze on Kurt. "That's also how I knew that Elizabeth wasn't going to live much longer after she had you."

Kurt looked at her for a moment. "How?"

The queen sipped her tea before replying. "Because when a spellbinder dies, their name on the list turns red. At the time your name appeared, the three current spellbinders were all still alive." She paused for a moment. "Considering you were Elizabeth's son, it was natural that she would be the one whose place you were taking. So we had to be prepared to lose our princess within your first ten years of life."

This was a bit of a mournful topic and Kurt felt somewhat guilty. In a way, his birth had set in motion the events that lead to his mother's death eight years later. That kind of made him responsible for it. He cast his eyes down at the ground.

"What's the matter Kurt?" Blaine asked in a concerned voice. Kurt looked up at him.

"I'm the reason she died," said. "Because I was born, she had to die." He sighed heavily and ran a hand over his face.

"No one is blaming you Kurt," the queen said softly. "Elizabeth wanted you. She loved you very much. And she never feared her departure from the living world. She did her best to prepare you for life and spend as much time with you as she could in those eight years. Your mother was a very selfless person. And so are you."

Kurt looked up at her. "How do you know that? The last time you saw me was before my mom died." He felt slightly guilty at the bitter tone to his words. But she just smiled at him.

"Just because I haven't physically seen you since then, does not mean I haven't been watching," she said with a wink.

Kurt was a bit confused. If she had been watching, than why had he gotten clonked on the head and he and the other three taken prisoner? It didn't make sense and a hardened look crossed his face.

"Like hell you've been watching!" he spat out, jumping to his feet. Kurt felt the anger flowing through his veins. Blaine widened his eyes in surprise and the queen just sat there smiling all the while. It was as though she wasn't fazed at all by Kurt's outburst. "If you had been watching, I wouldn't have been attacked and we wouldn't have been taken prisoner. How do you explain that one? Huh?" He glared hard at her.

The queen calmly sat her teacup down again and fixed him with a sincere gaze. "The guards responsible for that action are being punished as we speak," she said quite calmly. "They tend to act on their own orders whenever they feel I'm indisposed. I apologize. I was in an important meeting at the time and knew nothing of who the intruders were until Ronan informed me that one of them was you." Her eyes darkened for a moment.

Kurt sagged, feeling the anger leave his body. She hadn't known they were the prisoners. "How are they being punished?" he asked. He expected maybe being locked up, perhaps having their positions as guards being revoked. Maybe days without meals. He hadn't, however, expected what the queen did say.

"They're being castrated," came the calm reply as though they were discussing the weather.

Kurt's eyes went wide and he looked at Blaine to see his eyes just as wide.

"Isn't that a little extreme?" Blaine asked. The queen smiled at him.

"They knocked out the fae prince because they're trained to react immediately at the first sign of intruders. I might have to rework the training program." She sipped her tea. "The point is that they did physical damage to fae royalty and that is a more serious offense than merely holding you captive." Kurt looked confused. He didn't see how it warranted castration.

"I don't get it. Why castrate them? It makes no sense." He shook his head.

"Sure it does," the queen replied simply. "They did damage to something that is important to me so I am just returning the favor."

Kurt understood then. He grimaced slightly. Damn manly men and their obsession with their own organs. He wrinkled his nose as a memory he had hoped to keep locked in his brain never to resurface, popped forward.

It had been during his senior year of high school. Kurt had been sent by Carole to retrieve Finn for dinner and he had found the door to Finn's room shut. Loud music was blaring from the inside, a bit unusual for Finn. Kurt knocked on the door and called out for Finn. But there was no reply.

Testing the knob, he found the door unlocked. So, he twisted it and pushed the door open…only to find Finn the throws of pleasuring himself to Rachel's picture. Kurt had frozen, staring wide-eyed with shock and mortification. The loud music had been used to mask the moans issuing from Finn's mouth as he worked his hand over his member.

Finn had been so engrossed in the act, he had never even taken notice of Kurt's presence in the room. When Kurt finally found the will to move again, he slammed the door shut and ran from the room. He kept running until he was safely downstairs in the kitchen where he stuttered out to Carole that Finn was indisposed at the moment and might be late.

From that very day, Finn never learned why his mother had had a stern conversation with him concerning sexual ministrations when other people were home. And the knowledge had remained undisclosed right up until the day he was killed.

Kurt shuddered, trying to hit the erase memory button on his brain.

"Are you okay Kurt?" Blaine asked with concern. Kurt blinked and looked at him, giving the curly-haired teenager a weak smile.

"I will be," he said.

"He made you feel degraded with that incident, didn't he?" the queen said suddenly and Kurt stared at her with wide eyes. How did she know?

But before he had the chance to ask, someone cleared their throat and the three of them looked up to see Ronan standing in the doorway.

"Your Majesty," Ronan said, bowing to the queen. "Your Highness," he added, bowing to Kurt. Kurt wasn't going to lie, the action did feel kind of strange. He wanted to tell Ronan he didn't need to act like that around him but Ronan went on. "I have brought her Your Majesty," he said, fixing his gaze on the queen.

The queen nodded her head and looked at Kurt. "You'll forgive me this Kurt but you are about to come face to face with someone else who is very familiar to you. I never told anyone exactly who you were but I stationed this particular person at your school to keep an eye on you." She smiled softly and Kurt furrowed his brow.

"I don't get it. How can someone keep an eye on me if they don't know who I am?"

"I told her that the prince was attending that school. That she wouldn't know who he was because he didn't know he was fae. But I wanted her to keep a close eye on everyone. Particularly you kids in that club. That wasn't too hard as she was so clearly smitten." She grinned at Kurt and winked.

Realization dawned on him and his eyes went wide. "You're not talking about who I think you are, are you?"

The queen's smile grew and she turned to Ronan. "Send her in Ronan," she said. He bowed again.

"Very well Your Majesty." Ronan exited the room and a moment later, a familiar redheaded woman entered, bowing politely to the queen and she seemed just as surprised to see Kurt as Kurt was to see her.

"Good evening Emma," the queen said, gesturing to the vacant spot on the couch. "Please join us. I believe you know my grandson Kurt?"

Emma curtsied. "Thank you Your Majesty," she said, daintily seating herself next to Blaine on the couch. "And yes, how lovely to see you Kurt," she added politely, with a kind smile.

"Now, I believe we can get down to business." She looked at Kurt and smiled. "I know you may not believe this, but Emma knows more about the Labrynth than anyone else in the world. It's her job. She's the Labrynth fae. Or the current one."

"Labrynth fae?" Kurt asked, furrowing his brows in confusion.

Emma turned to look at him. "Yes Kurt. Every so often there is a fae born who has the skill to obtain any and all knowledge about the Labrynth. It's not clear why but we believe it was originally meant for the purpose of helping others to successfully survive an encounter with the Labrynth, know what to expect and be prepared for it. But seeing as we fae have cut ourselves off from the magical world, the ability has not really been needed unless the individual in need was another fae," she explained.

The queen handed her a cup of tea and Emma thanked her for it, carefully examining the rim, though knowing she needn't worry about this cup being infected. It was royal china after all. She sipped lightly from the cup.

"As I understand Kurt," the queen said, "you and the other two spellbinders and the Elemental are looking to rescue your friend Rachel, correct?"

Kurt nodded. "Yes."

Emma frowned slightly, setting her teacup down. "Well than, you might not have much more time Kurt. The captor knows now that Rachel's an Elemental," she said quite easily. How did she know this? "He has a viewing globe that he's been using to watch you." Her eyes narrowed and she gave her head a shake. "He also used it to reveal me to Will."

"Wait," Kurt said suddenly. "The captor has Mr. Schue?" He stared with wide eyes. Emma looked at him sadly.

"The captor has the entirety of New Directions Kurt, both current and former members." Kurt's already very pale skin went extremely paler. The whole club? The captor had the whole club? This wasn't good. It had just turned from a simple rescue mission to operation free the New Directions. Emma turned her eyes on Blaine then. "And he has some of your Warbler friends too," she said. Blaine's eyes got wide, very wide. And then he had a sudden realization.

"If he has a viewing globe he's been watching us through, that means he knows," he said. "He knows I'm a spellbinder."

And that was enough to make things a million times more difficult. Lovely.


End file.
